Manitou Minute 3:00 '05

So a couple of places have these on close out, will it stand up to a 250 lb clyde or should I just drop the $700 the LBS guy is trying to get me to fork out for a Pike and through axle wheel setup on the front? (the price is for the fork and a replacement wheel since I'm using a regular quick release wheel on the front right now, installation's free since I bought the bike there).

I've already blown the seals on my OEM Pilot a couple of times and I'm looking to replace it, I don't want to drop $700 on a fork, but I also don't want to drop $350 on something that's going to blow out in a couple of months either.

Edit: Oh, I'm pretty much entirely a cross country rider, I don't do any drops unless I didn't see them

I have an 05 Manitou Minute 3 on my Instigator. It's an air fork and I have to put about 180psi in it to get a decent clyde ride. It is way beefier than the flexy oem 02 Black comp that I had on it before. The ride is much nicer, too. I will admit that it only has a few hundred easy miles on it so far so I can't vouch for it's long term reliability yet. It has some nice features, I hope it holds up.

I had a Marzocchi MXC air fork on my last mtb and I never had a problem with it except for the little plastic ECC knob slipping on its post. I liked the fact that it was a low pressure fork, 40psi gave a good firm clyde ride on that one. Never leaked any air in two good seasons of x-country and city use.

If I had the dollars to pick any fork, I would have gotten another Marzocchi, but the Minute was super cheap so I gave it a shot.